Netflix Offers Smart Downloads to Android Users: How It Works

The popular video streaming platform on mobile gets a new, convenient download feature this month.

Smart download feature comes to Android users. 

(Photo: Netflix India)

Netflix for Android users gets a new feature this week that lets them watch their favourite series without needing to manually download it. The Smart Downloads option, according to Netflix follows up on the Downloads feature, which was first introduced in 2016.

This feature is coming to India, because people in the country rank among the top downloaders of content on mobile phones for Netflix.

Now, when you finish watching a downloaded episode, smart downloads will delete it and then automatically download the next episode. You watch, we do the work.

Netflix India 

Smart Downloads is rolling out to users with Android phones and tablets for now, with iPhone/iPad folks getting them in the coming months.

Smart Downloads will work for both Netflix International Originals as well as the other series available on the platform.

Cameron Johnson, who is the director for Product Innovation at Netflix cited factors like patchy internet and people using phones with lesser internal memory, the reason for adding features like these to the app.

A large chunk of our users in India log on to the platform through their mobile phones, downloading over WiFi for watching the content later.

Cameron Johnson, Director-Product Innovation, Netflix

If you’re wondering how this feature will help you while Netflix-ing, read below to know how it works.

How do Smart Downloads Work?

According to Netflix, if you’ve downloaded one or more episodes in a series, smart downloads will delete the episode you've just finished and automatically download the next episode in the series.

Episodes will get automatically downloaded to your list. (Photo: Netflix India)

For instance, if you have downloaded three episodes of a series and finish watching the first episode, Netflix will automatically download the fourth episode for you. 

Only works if you’re connected to Wi-Fi. (Photo: Netflix India)

But it’s worth noting that the smart download will only work if you’re connected to Wi-Fi (saving up your mobile data). Netflix also claims that the feature doesn’t eat into the storage space of your device.

For those who aren’t keen on using this feature, Netflix lets them turn it off, either from App settings, or the download section of the app itself. Compared to the actual download feature, we’re not sure how many Netflix users will use this feature, unless they’re about to fly out.